Machine for hooping tubes



R GAUTHIER MACHINE FOR HOOPING TUBES Flled March 29, 1946 Jam 18, 1952 Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE MACHINE FOR HOOPINGiTUBES Renr Gauthier; Brussels, Blgiunn. assignor to Societe Continentale et Co'lonialerde Construction, Societe Anonyme, Brussels, Belgium Application'March 29, 1946,'"'Seriall \l6: 658,239 In Belgium May"16,- 1941" Section 1, Public Law 690,August 8,1946 Patent expires May- .16,- 1961'.

3 Claims. (ClJ-242"-1-1) The .presentinvention relates to machines for hoopingtubes, .forexample ofconcrete, and fre latesrparticularlyto..a device adapted tcmaintainthe .metalhooping wire under constant tension, which is predetermined and without" load of inertia, irrespective of the variations in peripheral speed between the tube to be hooped and the means .for. driving .the wire which" may bproducedcduring the winding. 2

According to the invention a hydraulic device for tensioning the wire to be hooped is maintained automatically under predetermined constant pressure and is supplied by acompressor with-two identical pumps each actuated by one of theplanet wheels of a differential driven by -a motor.

A preferred example of construction .of the invention is. described hereinafter, with refer ence to the accompanying'drawing.

In this drawing, a motor M, preferably electric, actuates a driving pinion l of a differential 2 of which the planet-pinions 3 and-trespectively drivethe pumps 5' and. 6, of an oil compressor. Preferably the pumps are of the gear type and are of equal outputs The planet pinion 4 also drives a pinion 1 which actuates, by means. of the-pinion 8, a train of specialligroovedz pulleys 9 secured to: -a shaft l arrdilccatediopposite pulleys I l loose-on-a shaft I2.

Theeoilzfrom. a refrigerated tank R- is drawn by theaphmps- 5-and 6 of the compressor and is forcedi under-pressure into pipes. l3 and I4,=provided zrespectively-with valves l5 and IS, with manual adjustment; and reaches a collector conduit 3'l' fromwhich the oilis directed into a cylinderllrarranged vertically so that: the. liquid entersunderthe piston l8. The-liquid is caused to enterthe-cylinder-below the piston in order to avoid.- any loadof inertia during. vvariations in volumeof the liquid in the cylinder. Theeoil then leaves --thecylinder l'l through the :pipe I 9,:passes 1 through a-device 38; herein after-described andwhichserves forthe adjustment of the pressure/of the oil in the circuit.

Wherrleaving-the device 38, the oil returns .to the wtankR-through thepipe-Zll. A. gaugeil. placedon-therpipe '-l 9 inadvance of th'edevice38', indicates-the pressure of the oil in thehydraulic circuit Fromhthecollector conduit 31, abranch. conduit 22conducts. the oil underlpressure into a cylinder23 under apistonl24 which,.b'y means of the rod "25, pushes .arollr 26 against a reaction roller. 21,".b'etween which rollers the hooping wireioffsteel Lor siiitable .metal'isilpassedfand"is slightly braked.

The device 38, serving to obtain the desired pressure in the hydraulic .circuit, .consists of a doublewalled cylinder,v of which the inner wall is. provided .with longitudinal. openings or ports, thesizeof which in use is. controlled bythe movement of the piston...29.. The. piston. increases, i'ri its valvular capacity, the-size of .the openings, when it moves against the-resistance of the springfiifl'in response to th'ejhydraulic pressure. A'screw 3| islprovi'de'd'for adjustingthe te'nsio'n ofth'e said 'sp'ring30i In the cylinder IT, the piston l8 islconnected byla rod'"32 to a..fdrk.33,'-between the limbsof which a pulley 34 rotates freely.

The tube 35 to be hooped .is. rotated by-any machine (a type of lathe,.for example) actuated by. an. independent motor. 39 andvconnecting gearingjflfl or, preferred; by atransmission driven by the motor M of'the idevice.

Tlie hooping. wire 36, on, its entrance into the device .forming the subject of the-invention, passes. as above described, between therollers 2'6"and 2Tof the device Y; of which the. action is automatically proportional tothe necessary pull on' the wire so that it does not slipmonfl'the first pulley Act the train of pulleys 9. The wire is then .wound on the drivingpulley Aiandpasses successively on to the .loose pulley Bof thetrain of pulleys II, ,on to the driving pulleyiC; onto the loose pulleyD," on to the driving pulley E, on to the loose pulley F, on to vthe drivingpulley G, on to'the return pulley H; on to the tension pulley 34," on to the return pulleyIso as to. reach the tube'35. The'tensionof the wire is obtained b'ythe thrust :of the'pul1ey34 produced'by-the pressure of oil under the piston 18, whichipressure'isxadjusted'bythe device 38 and is indicated by'the pressure 'gaugeZl. More or less pressure is obtained by tightening or slackening thescrew 3 I which acts on the spring, 30 "and consequently onrithepiston 29 which more ,or less closes the ports28:thus.modifyingithe'cross sectional pas.- sa'ge'for theroil at'the outletfrom the cylinder 11.

The peripheral speed of the tube 35sho'uldbe exactlythe same as that of the 'driving1pu1leys'9 This result is obtainedfby caus= compressor is a constant, irrespective'ofth'e relative speeds of the planetary pinions amongst themselves, and consequently also the pressure of the oil in the hydraulic circuit is constant. When rotation of the tube 35 is stopped, it is also possible, at the same time, to stop the driving pulleys 9, by closing the valve I6 completely which results in stopping the pump 6, the planet pinion 4 and the pinion I. The planet wheel 3 then rotates at twice its speed ofequilibrium, which maintains the same delivery of oil and also the same pressure as before. When the tube 35 slows down temporarily, before it has been possible to obtain the same slowing down of the driving pulleys 9, by means of the valves I5 and I6, the wire 36 is maintained under the desired tension by the rise, in the cylinder I1, of the piston I8 and of the pulley 34 which acts on the wire 36, whilst the ports 28 of the valve 38 close progressively by the movement of the piston 23 which maintains the pressure in the hydraulic circuit.

When the tube, for any reason, accelerates or decelerates, the tendency of the pinion I8 to be displaced actuates immediately the automatic valve 38 by displacement of its piston 29 which in turn modifies the available cross sectional area ofthe, ports 28.

Theappropriate shape of the ports 28 of the 'valvedevice 38 produces, by the automatic movement of the piston 29, in one direction or the other, a braking of the passage of oil suitable for maintaining a constant pressure and consequently a determined constant tension of the wire.

' After the hooping wire 36 is suitably anchored tow the periphery of tube or cylinder 35, and guided successively in the grooves of the pulleys I, 34, H, 9 and I I, as well as between rollers 26 and 2Iof drag brake Y, pressure is created in cylinder I! by starting the motor M while maintaining valve I5 completely open and valve I6 closed. a result, the circulation of the oil is prevented in conduit I4 which causes the stopping of pump 6 and immobilizes planet pinion 4 and consequently also the train of pulleys 9, whereas oil "does circulate through conduit I3 permitting the rotation of the pump 5 and planet pinion 3, driven by the crown 2 and pinion I of motor M. The pressure in the cylinder I1 is then ad- ;justedto a predetermined value by modifying the tension of spring 30 of the device 38 by meansof the screw 3 I. As a result of the working pressure in the vertically disposed cylinder II, the piston I8is actuated and the hooping wire 36 is placed under tension through intermediary ofpulley 34. Pressure in the cylinder 23 actu- :fltBS'thQ piston 24 and forces the roller 2'6 relative tq the roller 21 and engaging the wire 36.

.Cylinder 3 5,is then rotated by the prime mover '39through connecting gearing 46 and the valve I6'is progressively opened which, by permitting oil to fiow in pipe I4, effects rotation of pump 6 and consequently of the planet pinion 4 which drives pinions I. and 8 as well as the set of grooved pulleys 9.

When the valve I6 is opened, valve I5 is likewise actuated so as to adjust the oil passage area in the .line I3 of pump 5 in order to impart to the set of .pulleys 9 a peripheral speed that is substantially equalto that of the cylinder 35.

If, during the winding of the wire 36, slight variations in length of wire should occur between the unreeling device 9-II and cylinder 35 and due. for example, to irregularities formed at the periphery of said cylinder 35, the said variations in wire length will be compensated by the reciprocable movement of the piston I8 in the cylinder I'I. These movements of the piston I8 are normally of small amplitude, but if, for any reason whatsoever, the peripheral speed of the unreeling device 9-II or of the cylinder 35 becomes modified due to an exaggerated reciprocable movement of piston I8 in either direction, it is possible to operate the valves I5 and I6 so as to modify the unreeling speed of the wire 35 so as to bring the piston I8 back to its normal operating position in the cylinder H.

In order to stopthe machine, the valve I6 is closed and the valve I5 opened, while simultaneously stopping the prime mover 39 of the cylinder 35. The wire 36 is thus kept under tension by the liquid circulated by the pump 5, which permits fastening the wire 36 on the cylinder 35 when the winding is terminated. When this last operation is ended the motor M is stopped and the pressure in the machine circuit is relieved by unscrewing of the screw 3I after which the wire 36 is cut at the place where it is attached to the cylinder 33 so as to permit removal of the latter.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for hooping tubes comprising, in combination with a device actuated by motor for driving in rotation the tube to be hooped, a train of grooved pulleys to drive the hooping wire for unwinding, a train of grooved loose pulleys to guide said wire on the driving pulleys, a motor, a differential mechanism actuated by said motor, two shafts to be driven each by one of the planets of said difierential, a transmission to connect one of said shafts to the train of driving pulleys, two pumps to be driven each by one of the differential shafts, valves for controlling the output of each of said pumps, a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit fed by said pumps, said unit including a surface adapted to act by tension on the hooping wire extending between the driving pulleys and the tube to be hooped, means for automatically controlling the hydraulic pressure in said unit and means controlled by said pressure to retard the unwinding of the wire before its passage on the driving pulleys..

2. A machine for hooping tubes comprising, in combination with a device actuated by motor for driving in rotation the tube to be hooped, a train of grooved pulleys to drive the hooping wire for unwinding, a train of grooved loose pulleys to guide said wire on the driving pulleys, a motor, a differential mechanism actuated by said motor, two shafts to be driven each by one of the planets of said difierential, a transmission to connect one of said shafts to the train of driving pulleys, two pumps to be driven each by one of the differential shafts, an oil reservoir-to feed said pumps, a cylinder, conduits connecting said pumps to said cylinder, valves in each of said conduits for controlling the output of said pumps, a piston in said cylinder, a rod on said piston, a loose pulley on the end of said rod to act upon the hooping wire extending between the driving pulleys and the tube to be hooped, an automatic regulator device to control the pressure in said cylinder, a conduit to connect said cylinder to said pressure regulator device, a pressure gauge on the latter conduit, a conduit to connect said pressure regulator to said pumps reservoir, a first roller, supported on a fixed point, on which roller the hooping wire passes before its passage on the driving pulleys, a second roller acting upon said first roller and upon said hooping wire, a second cylinder, and a piston supporting said second roller, said piston being submitted to the pressure in the first cylinder.

3. A machine for hooping tubes comprising, means for rotating the tube to be hooped, a driven shaft, a train of pulleys fixed on the shaft for unwinding a hooping wire, a train of grooved loose pulleys opposed. to the fixed pulleys to guide the wire on the driving pulleys, a prime mover, a difierential mechanism operated by the prime mover, a pair of shafts driven by the planets of said differential, transmission means connecting one of the shafts to the driven shaft for the pulleys, pumps driven by the differential shafts, valves controlling, the output of each of said pumps, a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit connected to and actuated by said pumps, a pulley carried by the piston rod and having the hooping wire entrained thereon for tensioning the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 874,017 Lewis et a1. Dec. 17, 1907 1,100,039 Tyler et al June 16, 1914 1,475,855 Murdock Nov. 27, 1923 1,929,852 Reid Oct. 10, 1933 

